Little Blue Joint

It was awesome to see how much this place as changed in the years I have been away from home. It was even more awesome to know that even in my small home town there was gluten free options! I got the nachos, and was glad that I got a full not half order so I had some for at the hotel room back in Hamilton. Darby is only a short drive away, but worth it since there was not much available for those of us with Celiac Disease to eat at.

Wow! Not much to look at from outside and probably all the tourist get sucked into the 406 place across the street, but the locals know what's up.😉👍 The Ruben sandwich was amazing. It is in my top 5 now. The meat was so thick it was like a steak and their homemade thousand islan sauce was great. We tried the carne asada (steak) Chipotle salad also. Soooo yummy. It came with sliced avocados, tomatoes, crunchy tortilla straps and a house made Chipotle ranch dressing. 👍 The prices were all reasonable despite the Yellowstone filming which has made everything like rent etc go up and our wages that don't follow that incline. Nice to find some things stay reasonable. The bar is connected but separate and is a well stocked super fun place to watch football and play some pool. It gets pretty lively at night on the weekends.

I heard about my parents going to the Little Blue Joint for dinner. They raved on and on about how welcoming the atmosphere was, the variety of the menu options, and the quality of the food they were served. They said, nearly every seat was taken in the newly renovated space and they look forward to going back again soon. This time I hope they take me with them!

The food is fantastic and staff is friendly. Food was quick to come out and was great. Ordered the fish and "chips" and would recommend it. If you are tired of french fries with your meal, these house made chips are amazing as they are made to order. The cheesy bread is also a good side to have for a comfort food.

Great food, nice attention, friendly family environment, must try the fish and chips, worth the stop in Darby! Only complain: the place could be cleaner ...

The food is Fantastic! The burgers are delicious! The FF are delicious but cold. *Don't order the iced tea. The service was not great but ok. We were a party of three. When we arrived, there was no one waiting and many tables were empty. We were told at arrival that the wait for a table would be 15-20 minutes, it definitely was; even though many tables were still empty. We were told that we could go into the bar, but having a child with us and smelling smoke coming from it, that didn't appeal. Some other people came in and were offered the same and left. *another group of three came in and disappeared from the entry hall. I later saw them, As I was being seated; They were already drinking and eating. We had a good time anyway and left a great tip because the food was simply Delicious!

Just had breakfast. Really good. Nice clean atmosphere. Love the woodwork. Reasonable price as well.

Incredible kick back and relax place. Excellent food! Nice drink selection. Great personalized service!!!

Solid menu. Surprising to find such high quality food in rural Montana. Everyone giving one stars and complaining about wait times and staff issues must be tourist. Welcome to Montana

Absolutely the best Reuben Sandwich I have ever had, and my husband had the Monster Burger and he said it was amazing- no sauce needed on either sandwich- the atmosphere was excellent- and service was excellent. We will be back - it is a must if you visit Darby, Montana!

Mike Owner/Chef puts out the best food in the area. Great pizzas & specials at a fair price. Much better than the eatery across the street. Community is awaiting the long anticipated re-opening of the dining room. Hoping Mike at least brings back Sunday Brunch. We need a good breakfast joint!!

Stopped for dinner on a Saturday night, they were moderately busy but seated us immediately without a reservation. They stress that they make many things from scratch and to go elsewhere if you are looking for fast food. They were pleasant and attentive. My wife ordered a salad which she was pleased with and I ordered the blu burger. The burger came with hand cut fries which were very tasty. The burger was large and cooked to order. I also had a locality brewed stout, also good. I would highly recommend this place for a simple but refreshing dinner dinner.

Our favorite place around. Great food, nostalgia galore, old school, great servers and bar service. Thanks Mike.

This place has gone so downhill. The restaurant doesn't ever appear to be opening again and you can forget about sitting in the bar. It reeks of piss. With all that going on you might just consider getting an order to go, well no. You can't even do that. Your takeout order WILL be wrong. It's guaranteed to be wrong at this point. I don't know if it's a curse or what but I don't think Darby will ever have a decent restaurant again.

I work hard for my money.i ordered a pizza with jalapeño on it gotmy pizza and it was so covered with jalapeño it was not edible. I would not waste your time or money .

The food here is fresh and tasty and honestly so unassuming it may be easy to miss. Anything fried is great and the pizza also is amazing. I like to sit at the bar next door as the restaurant and bar work together and you can have your food delivered there also. Parking is easy and people are friendly. Highly recommend!

Do not eat here. Keep driving to Hamilton to get something to eat because Little Blue Joint was terrible. We got the Honey Fire Wings, Blue Burger, and the Reuben sandwich. The Honey Fire Wings were cooked well but the sauce is just honey and cayenne pepper so it lacks saltiness. I think they are onto something great here with that combination if it was just a tiny bit saltier. The Blue Burger is boring and the dollar store kaiser roll it comes on was terrible--it tasted like a 4 day old bagel that was sitting on a table at an Alcohol Anonymous meeting. The Reuben was awful. The corned beef was 25% gristle and fat. The sandwich is drenched in thousand island to mask its mediocrity. Lastly, the fries are trash. The fries appear to be cut in house which is good sign but they tasted like cardboard because of how dry and overcooked they were. Leftover fries from McDonald's found on the floor of your car are less miserable than trying to slog through eating Little Blue Joint's.

Never disappoints. Great food in an authentic Montana setting. Friday and Saturday chef's specials are always fresh and reflect the efforts of a skilled chef and kitchen.

Went for lunch. Had a small salad and a cheeseburger with fries. The burger was perfect. I am picky about burgers and do not order them often. This was an exceptional burger. The fries were hot and fresh. The salad was crisp and visually pleasing. The dressing was on the side. My friend ordered a Ruben which came on a marbled bread. It was exceptional, I tried a bit. It was a huge sandwich. I should have posted a photo but forgot till it was too late. Will definitely be back. Went back for the brunch. Great brunch!!!! They had pastries, sweet breads, fresh fruit, bacon, sausage, scrambled eggs, stuffed French toast, biscuits and gravy, pancakes, made to order omelettes with a tons of choices and a few other things I can't remember. It was only $10 for all you could eat. Fantastic!!!

I've never had a bad meal in the 10 years I've lived in the area. The Chefs Menu never disappoints. The pizza is amazing . Right now my favorite is the Primavera . The Calamari is the best I've had anywhere in the world. Mike Campbell is the real deal. Talented chef. You won't believe you're in Darby , Montana .

Great service and great food for a small town. Definitely recommend stopping in after a day of skiing or hiking in the Bitterroot. The service is friendly and attentive. For lunch we did the fish and chips (great batter, size, and cole slaw) and the special of the day which was a pulled rib bone meat with cheese sauce (YUM).

One of the best pizza's and cheesy breadsticks we have ever had! Seriously wonderful. Great service and cant say enough how good the pepperoni pizza w/garlic was Very very glad we stopped in after a long soak at lost trail hot springs.

Let me start by saying....the Steak sandwich is INSANE! Seriously so good! We split the steak sandwich and the Reuben. They were both fabulous but I liked the steak sandwich more; the cheese was creamy and melty, the steak was tender and flavor was great. The Reuben was also good, but a little saltier than I was feeling that day. French fries were so tasty. I read that the ketchup is homemade, I didn't ask to confirm, but regardless, it was amazing!! The pics don't do the amazing taste justice - but here they are!

Recommend by a local and we had the best lunch you would not expect in this little western town almost at the end of the valley. Served with real glass, cloth napkins, porcelain, good flatware and super friendly & helpful staff. But the best is really the fresh food!!! Pear salad with Gorgonzola super fresh, crispy and a homemade dressing - delish!!! Then the Chef's Primavera Pizza - all fresh veggies, really tasty on super crispy hand tossed dough with the right amount of cheese - amazing!!! Eat here!!!

Waited 2.5 hours to get food, then when the food came it was no what we ordered. When we told the server she said they ran out of the beef and they gave us steak bits. Again not what we ordered, and the servers were rude and would just walk away when I was trying to explain that they could of came and asked if the meat replacement was OK or if we wanted to order something else. I wouldnt even give even a 1 star review but its a must and will never give them my business again.

I stopped in Darby overnight on a road-trip. I stopped here and tried to order dinner.Thankfully they were "out of" my first two choices so I went with the brisket sandwich. It was hands down the best brisket I have ever had!!!

Wonderful food, great service! The fries are my favorite. The burger was pretty amazing as well. Everything is fresh!

It was simple and good. Friendly staff. Good place to have dinner and very affordable !

Pizza was very good. The crust and sauce are a big thing for me. Both where very good. Wine was cheap and staff very friendly and helpful. If you want to have a drink next door it is a little local place with pool table.

Excellent wings and tacos. The service was great and COVID-19 service was also available. Don't miss this Little Blue Gem in Darby. It's worth the stop.

The sign out front says this is not a fast food place and they live up to this. Both the food ( hamburgers) and service was very slow. It was good food but the lack of service detracts from the meal.

This restaurant has really gone downhill. It used to be one of our favorites but after our last 3 visits we will not return. We have encountered bad service, bad attitudes, food quality was poor, they were out of menu items, and tonite the place had tons of flies. Yes, flies. We were using our napkins to swat them to try and get rid of them . The waitress even told some people who walked in "that's the fly table, the flies love it there"." We will not return.

Excellent food all around. I eat here quite often and have never had a bad meal for dinner....Especially like the ribs( meat literally falls off the bone), and their fish and chips. Food and bar drinks are very reasonably priced.

I went to visit my cousin in Darby. She said the ribs are great here. So we picked up some. I got to tell u these were the best ribs I have ever had in my life. Can't wait to go back in September

There are places you go to get good food, knowing it's comfort food made by a good cook. And there are places you go where you expect the same, but are surprised at how elevated comfort food can be, in the hands of a gifted chef. The Blue Joint is one of those. We went twice already and have only recently moved to the area. First time we had the fish and chips. Oh. My. Goodness. Crispy on the outside, hot and succulent on the inside, not greasy and just wonderfulness. Served with homemade potato chips and a coleslaw, replete with celery seed and finely seasoned, and not your typical "saturated with mayonnaise" coleslaw. Our second lunch was the luscious Reuben sandwich. Again, unlike a deli version - the standard Reuben you'd find elsewhere, this Reuben was made with carved corned beef! Like, off a roast! Amazing! On marbled rye with tangy sauerkraut. We also ordered side salads and they were perfect. This will become our new favorite place in our new favorite home. Kudos to the chef, the friendly and welcoming wait staff, and the cloth napkins - because you can tell how much an owner cares by the napkins they use. Will be back, again and again!

Food is always good. However, when you call in order they tell you it'll be an hour. That's ok. Then you show up and they haven't even started your order. Use excuse they are understaffed. That's bullshit. If you're that busy, don't take the order.

I had the best prime rib there I've ever had in my life. The pizza there is awesome I will eat there as often as I can.

So glad we stopped here for lunch. Ordered the portobello mushroom sandwich. It was excellent. Fries were also great. They were heavy on pepper so order accordingly. Affordable and delicious lunch.

Owner is rude. When my order was made incorrectly (plain chicken instead of marinated as it always has been and is on the menu) I asked the waiter if it could be done with the marinated chicken. Waiter returned and said the chef (owner) said, "I could take it or leave it".

Took forever but good food! We stopped in after a long hike and about died waiting for the food, probably 35 minutes (first world problems, right?). The atmosphere is very simple but the food is good. I had the Bleu Burger (I will say, the fries were very good and heavily peppered which I didn't mind) and my wife had the Fish Tacos, though she complained of some stomach pains later that evening. Probably more from eating quickly on an empty stomach...overall, I would recommend also because there are only a few options in Darby!

Finally stopped here after nearly three months in Darby. Ordered iced tea, salad, and the supreme pizza. The iced tea was delicious, and this is coming from an iced tea snob! The salad greens were fresh and the ranch dressing tasted homemade. The pizza? Oh my. Really, really good. Definitely wishing I had come sooner! Update: Ordered the fish and chips to go tonight and OMG. The best I have ever eaten! The people who reviewed this place and said the food was bad? Lies. Completely awesome!

Best salads in the valley!! They are welcoming and really strive to provide a good meal

On a road trip from Los Angeles to Glacier Park, MT and stumbled on this gem thanks to reviews. Staff is friendly and efficient, and the restaurant is very modern and clean on the inside, not totally what we were expecting from the rustic exterior or small town location. Two kids and two adults in our party - started with a pitcher of ice water on the table, which we loved! Took our drink orders immediately - proper Roy Rogers from the attached Saloon for the kids, a local beer (Miner's Gold Hefeweizen from Lewis & Clark Brewing Co.) for me. Beer was outstanding and cold, and if not for a long drive ahead, a second one would have been ordered. Menu had some great options, we had a hard time choosing. We started by sharing a small Caesar salad which had buttery homemade croutons and was dressed with a vinaigrette style dressing that was just garlicky and delicious. My son, who has never met a salad he would eat, went back for several bites. My husband and daughter ordered the fish and chips - 3 large pieces of fish that were lightly battered and flash fried. Not thick and heavy, but light and flaky, served with a homemade tartar sauce, fresh coleslaw and the most delicious homemade potato chips! We all made sure not a single one was left. My son and I both got small pizzas, which was waaay more than we both could eat but gave us ample leftovers for dinner the next night. Pizza dough from scratch, cooked in a pizza oven with a delicious sauce, fresh toppings and just the right amount of cheese. The crust was crisp on the bottom and bubbly around the edges. My son said it was second only to a local CA favorite of his, which was high praise! For me, I really think the best I've ever had. We've now told everyone we encountered on our trip about this restaurant, including family in MT. Truly the best place we ate across 4 states and 10 days, hope we get to stop back in! Or hope Chef Michael (who I got to meet on the way out and was super humble and sweet) decides to move to California and open up a place a little closer!

We are here today for the Darby rodeo. After a long drive outside of Missoula we were hungry. Searched on yelp and found this little place to be highly rated. I have to say that the reviews lived up to the reality of this great find. On the window they advertised the best fish and chips (real homemade potato chips) in Montana. I would rate their fish and chips among the best I've EVER had. Our friends got a cheeseburger, which they raved about being perfectly seasoned and one of the best they have had and a Reuben sandwich. My buddy said that it was a homemade brisket and was phenomenal. If I had to say where they went wrong it would have been with the coleslaw that came with the fish and chips. It wasn't bad, just wasn't as good as everything else. If we are ever in town we will absolutely eat here again. Our server was desi and she took great care of us. Thank you again yelp for not failing us in finding an amazing place to eat.

Delicious! 10 of us came in for a meal before our white water rafting trip down the Selway. Recently remodeled so the place looks great and the owner is also he chef - always a great sign. We got a range of different items and they were all cooked perfectly @ reasonable prices. Highly recommended.

Checked in today with my girlfriends for a lazy lunch. The Bloody Cesar's were delicious and served with pickled asparagus and beautiful fat olives and peppers. The special of the day was Fish Taco's and featured Alaskan Cod battered and fried to perfection. Heaven on a plate. Light and fluffy and crazy good. I had the soup of the day which was a roasted red pepper tomato to die for soup. The Ceasar salad was probably the best I ever have had! The dressing was homemade and olive oil based , with tons of garlic and anchovies and homemade croutons. YUM! Never ever disappointed in the quality of the food or service. Always surprised and never disappointed ! Thank You a little Blue Joint!

Very friendly servers. Our pizza was good. Not the best I've had but definitely good enough I'd return. $2 Pabst 16oz were a nice bonus.

Sadly my husband and I stopped on a Tuesday night. It was "terryaki night so we ordered the special which was either chicken or shrimp terryaki. The wait was VERY long with later diners getting their orders first. We try to be patient because so many places are under staffed......anyway once our long awaited dinner arrived mine had a hair in it. I'm not squeamish so I set it aside and ate my dinner. Sadly my husband found hair in his food as well. It was disheartening at the very least. We pointed out the hair to our waitress who said ewwww but didn't do anything else. Maybe she thought we were trying to get a free meal (we weren't), I don't know. Sadly, she did nothing to try to make us into return customers. No, Apologies. No, this has never happened before. Nothing. I guess we should have sent mine back immediately. As it stands now we won't be back and we would never recommend it to anyone. Darn! Customer satisfaction does matter.

Most dysfunctional restaurant ever, the staff dont know the menu, and just order what they think is what you want even though you order it right off the menu. Then when you call them out on it they act like it's the customers fault. The food can be good if you get a server or someone who knows what's going on. But the staff makes the atmosphere and ordering of meals

Oh my Gawd, this is the way kept secret in all the USA. I can't believe food is this good in little Darby, MY. The Little Blue joint is THE best restaurant in the West. You will not be let down. Chef Michael Campbell is a transplanted gem and will change your palate's life forever.

Friendly staff, great location and the best fish and chips I've ever had! Plus a mighty fine cup of coffee. So glad we chose to go here during our trip to Darby!

If you're passing by here I highly suggest you stop if you're hungry. I got the half rack of ribs as the daily special and it was the best ribs I've ever had. The bones fell right out of it. Cooked and flavored to perfection. The waitress was friendly and kept our drinks full. The pizza was a bit overpriced IMO, but I'd have paid more for the ribs so it worked out.

Easy access, great fish and chips, and pleasant service! The people we were with had a Reuben sandwich, and a burrito. They both said their meals were excellent! Generous portions all around.

Our daughter recommended this restaurant to us because of their "Teriyaki Tuesday". We decided to visit restaurant on a Sunday afternoon though. Arrived to the restaurant around 2:30 in the afternoon. Restaurant did not look busy, just a couple of other tables besides ours. Hostess/waitress who sat us was very friendly. Acknowledged us right away and took drink orders. We ordered right away. Cup of soup, a steak burrito, and the daily special. Soup was served right away and was delicious. The rest of our food came 45 minutes later. I wanted to leave after 30 minutes, but my husband decided to wait. Food was not great! Steak meat in burrito was over seasoned. My husband ate his special, I think he was hungry.... I personally think that special "bbq ribs" lack flavor! Waitress did apologize for the delay. I did not even bother asking why it took the two people in the kitchen such a long time to prepare such a simple order. Won't go back!!! Very disappointed that most local restaurants/food places in Ravalli County have become so casual and mediocre with their customer service. If the staff is not feeling entitled to be rude or plain disrespectful, it is the time that takes to get a simple meal, or the food simply sucks!! What is happening food industry? Are you joining the "COVID CONVENIENT" TREND? :( :(

This restaurant is amazing I am really picky about burgers and stuff. The only downside I say is it take a little bit to get your food. But I personally think the wait is worth it they have great food the price is what I would expect in a restaurant like this and every Sunday they have a buffet that is $10 a person for breakfast only and ends at 11:00 am but I would recommend this if you are traveling through Darby!

A very old diner with decent food. The place is a little funky with plastic flowers and interesting art work but it's about the only place in town and the servings were huge and the food was good. My husband had the ribs which came with a good sized salad and fries. Yummy fries and very large serving of ribs that had great flavor. I had the fish tacos that were huge! I had to eat them with a fork and was only able to finish one. The service was fast and efficient. But the place could really use some TLC. It needs some new paint and some cleaning up.

45 minutes to get our food order( it was good as always) but?...45 minutes for 3 Burritos; Fish and Chips and a Greek Salad? Wassup in that kitchen yo? No reason for that. It wasn't even busy. Had only 20 covers seated at the time. I felt bad for the server. I'll be back, I love the remodel looks great. But crack a whip in that kitchen man..Cheers!